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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:22 p.m., Saturday, December 13, 2008

NBA: Hawks end Cleveland's 11-game winning streak

By GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA — Mike Bibby scored 24 points and Marvin Williams hit the clinching free throws in the Atlanta Hawks' 97-92 victory tonight that snapped the Cleveland Cavaliers' 11-game winning streak.

LeBron James had 33 points and nine assists for the Cavs, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to take a 70-68 lead early in the fourth on Mo Williams' layup.

The deficit was Cleveland's first in the second half since its last loss, a 96-89 defeat at Detroit on Nov. 19. The Cavs were trying for the first 12-game winning streak in franchise history, having won 11 in a row four times.

After eight lead changes over a 6-minute span in the fourth quarter, Atlanta never trailed after Bibby made it 84-83 with a 10-footer with 4:40 remaining.

Williams finished with 26 points for Cleveland, the only NBA team to rank in the top 10 in both scoring and points allowed.

Cleveland was playing its second straight game without injured starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Anderson Varejao's 11 points and eight rebounds weren't enough to compensate on the front line with Ben Wallace going scoreless on just two shots from the field.